[Peace-discuss] Kosova oil and gas?

[Morton K. Brussel]

fyi. I hadn't heard of this before. --mkb



Large Potential Albanian Oil and Gas Discovery Underscores Kosovo's  
Importance

February, 20 2008

By Stephen Lendman

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On January 10, Swiss-based Manas Petroleum Corporation broke the  
news. Gustavson Associates LLC's Resource Evaluation identified large  
prospects of oil and gas reserves in Albania, close to Kosovo.  
They're in areas called blocks A, B, C, D and E, encompassing about  
780,000 acres along the northwest to southeast "trending (geological)  
fold belt of northwestern Albania."
Assigned estimates of the find (so far unproved) are up to 2.987  
billion barrels of oil and 3.014 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.  
However, because of their depth, oil deposits may be capped with a  
layer of gas. If so, Gustavson calculates the potential to be 1.4  
billion barrels of light oil and up to 15 trillion cubic feet of  
natural gas. Further, if only gas is present, the discovery may be as  
much as 28 trillion cubic feet. In any case, if estimates prove out,  
it's a sizable find.

In its statement, Gustavson reported: "The probability of success for  
a wildcat well in a structurally complex area such as this is  
relatively high (because) it is in a structurally favorable area  
(and) proven hydrocarbon source and analogous production exists only  
20 to 30 kilometers away."

Currently, the Balkans region has small proved oil reserves of about  
345 million barrels, of which an estimated 198 million barrels are in  
Albania. Proved natural gas reserves are much larger at around 2.7  
trillion cubic feet.

In December 2007, Albania's Council of Ministers allowed DWM  
Petroleum, AG, a Manas subsidiary, to assist in the exploration,  
development and production of Albania's oil and gas reserves in  
conjunction with the government's Agency of Natural Resources.

This development further underscores Kosovo's importance and the cost  
that's meant for Serbia. Since the 1999 US-led NATO war, it's been  
all downhill for the nation, the region and its people:

--Kosovo is part of Serbia; at least it was; since
1999 it's been a Washington-NATO occupied colony stripped of its  
sovereignty in violation of international law;

-- it's been run by three successive US-installed puppet Prime  
Ministers with known ties to organized crime and drugs trafficking;

-- it's the home of one of America's largest military bases in the  
world, Camp Bondsteel; the province/country is more a US military  
base than a legitimate political entity;

-- its part of Washington's regional strategic objective to control  
and transport Central Asia's vast oil and gas reserves to selected  
markets, primarily in the West;

-- on February 17 during a special parliamentary session, Kosovo  
unilaterally declared its independence; the action violates  
international law; Kosovo is as much part of Serbia as Illinois is  
one of America's 50 states; to no surprise, Washington and dominant  
western countries support it; opposed are Serbia, Russia, Spain,  
Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus;

-- might makes right; the issue is a fait accompli; the February 17  
declaration ignores EU division pitting one-third of its 27 members  
in opposition; and

-- unilateral western-supported independence mocks the

1999 UN Security Council Resolution 1244; it only permits Kosovo's  
self-government as a Serbian province; the resolution recognizes the  
"sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of  
Yugoslavia;" only a new UN resolution in compliance with  
international law can change that legally; nonetheless, it happened  
anyway on another historic day of infamy when Washington again  
trashed international law and the rules and norms of civil society.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at  
lendmanstephen at sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at
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